


A Slayer’s Diary

by KennethRocher



Category: Original - Fandom
Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Fantasy Action, Fantasy Adventure, Monsters, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original work - Freeform, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Violence, action adventure, monster hunter - Freeform, original monsters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 4,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25025515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KennethRocher/pseuds/KennethRocher
Summary: “I am Brion. Wanderer of strange lands, slayer of mighty beasts. And this diary details the dangers I have endured, and my encounters with the fierce monsters that plague this world.”
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	1. Day 4,508

Day 4,508

I arrived in Delmarva after a fortnight, exhausted and starving. Traveling by foot was torture to me, but I could not take Aderyn with me while she was expecting; a pregnant dragon is unfit for a long journey, and I'd rather suffer cramps and hunger than ride a moody fire-breathing lizard.

Thankfully, the inn was accommodating. The proprietor was polite, the roast beef tasted excellently, and the cute barmaid had served me well with pleasant smiles. Everything a weary Slayer needed after a long journey in the wilderness.

While I was eating, I heard two men sitting around the table next to mine, talking about a Muulwark stalking the nearby forest, piquing my interest. The last one I had hunted was more than a year ago; an ugly creature the size of a small house, which I had slain quite easily and earned me a sizable reward.

I entertained the thought of hunting another one. It was always good to have some spare cash, and I needed the exercise after days of relative peace and quiet on the road.

After finishing my meal in earnest and dropping a few coppers on the counter, I went straight to the Slayer Hall at the center of the town. There were not many of my fellow Slayers here in Delmarva, and of those I saw, very few had reached my rank. Most, if not all, seemed to be bronze ranks passing by the town on their way to cities.

The receptionist was a boring, bald individual who looked like he had been left alone in the kitchen when he was little. His chair kept rattling under his weight whenever he shifted his bloated body, and the sound made me want to scratch the inside of my ears. But I held my patience, and registered for the first time in Delmarva. I handed him my steel identification badge, stamped with the Slayer’s symbol—a demon’s head on a pike—and edged with a thin strip of gold, denoting my rank.

The registration took only five minutes, and soon I received information about the Muulwark. As I walked back to the inn with the sun nearly gone on the horizon, my mind raced with plans and contingencies; overconfidence was always the bane of many Slayers, even one as experienced as myself.

I entered my room after conversing with a Slayer who had the chance to encounter the monster last week. He had injured it, he said, but it fled before he could deliver the killing blow. Armed with that new information, I reviewed my equipment and supplies. I still have some healing potions, and two elixirs that would increase my speed. My weapons are still sharp, and I haven’t fully spent my plethora of throwing bombs and darts yet. Satisfied, I prepare to retire for the night.

The room I rented was small, but it was comfortable enough for me to write in this journal without distractions. I need ample rest tonight.

Tomorrow, I begin the hunt.


	2. Day 4.509

Day 4,509  
There was one reason I hated dense forests: mosquitoes.

The tiny suckers swarmed me almost as soon as I had stepped foot beneath the dark green canopies of the trees, and I had to defend myself constantly from their annoying and persistent attacks. Hours went by as I began my search for the Muulwark, and by noon, angry red bites covered my hands and face. I was fortunate that I am wearing my leather armor and trousers. Otherwise, even my arms and legs would not be spared.

It was late afternoon when I found the first sign of my quarry: a large tree uprooted and lying on its side, gnawed on as if by some giant dog, saliva still dripping from its bark. Most monsters tend to do this, of course. But as far as I know, only a Muulwark lives in this forest.

I continued my search with more wariness. The gnawed tree trunk was not the only sign I discovered. A trail ran north fifteen minutes from where I had found the tree trunk, and I followed it until the sunlight completely left the forest and the only light came from an early full moon.

In the darkness of the forest, I knew I was not safe. So I searched for a suitable hiding place until I found a small depression in the ground large enough to fit me. As I am writing this, I am huddled with my pack and weapons within easy reach, listening for any unnatural sound that would betray the Muulwark’s approach. I didn’t have time to set up any kind of traps, but my hearing is as good as a wolf.

Just now, I heard a roar.


	3. Day 4.510

Day 4,510

The creature eluded my sight.

It was only to be expected; Muulwarks are lithe and agile monsters, possessing speed belying their size. They also blended well in the forest landscape due to their greenish hide, making them excellent ambushers. Which meant that I could have passed it and never noticed.

But that proved unlikely; otherwise, I would not be alive to write in this journal.

After half an hour of fruitless search, I gave up and returned to my hiding spot. But sleep did not come easily. And as I lay here once more, my ears kept straining for any sign of my quarry…


	4. Day 4,511

Day 4,511

Today, I had some luck: I found the Muulwark’s den.

It was an accident, really. I was following an old trail I discovered which led me to a small cave. And there I found some old bones and carcasses. It could have belonged to a cave bear, as was my first assumption. But then I saw the monster’s shedded skin.

I was slightly disappointed. The monster was probably less than twenty feet in length—a juvenile nearing its adulthood. But that made me more wary; juveniles are fiercer than the older ones, an instinctual behaviour to fight to the death with the desire to live and reach maturity.

Just like humans. And that makes my target more dangerous.

I began laying traps all over the area. It is still noon, and I have plenty of time to prepare. The monster will return by nightfall.

Now, as I rest here up on a tree and write in this journal, the sun is beginning to set. Soon my sword and axe will be coated with the blood of my target, and I will make sure it doesn’t escape me.


	5. Day 4,512

Day 4,512

The information I’ve got turned out to be extremely accurate.

The Muulwark was a juvenile, twenty feet in length, making it an agile opponent. I had to drink one of my speed-increasing potions just to match its reflexes, and I can say it was worth it. My enhanced body moved twice faster, allowing me to avoid its scythe-like claws and fangs.

But it was also cunning, a trait that I knew but underestimated. I half-expected it to fall into one of my traps, but it avoided them with ease, even destroying some of them.

For the first time in my life, I was baffled.

Muulwarks are not dumb. They may not be the brightest monsters in Eloria, but they are smart. But they are not smart enough to disarm an invisible pitfall trap. No monster could.

Wary than before, I waited until it was directly right below the tree where I hid. As soon as I saw its thick neck, I raised my axe and leaped down without a word. It was a tactic I often use while ambushing my prey, and it often proved effective in taking down large monsters.

So imagine my surprise when the Muulwark whipped out its immensely long tail and smacked me in midair like a ball.

Experience was the only thing that saved me. As soon as its thick hide touched me and I flew to a nearby tree, I curled into a ball. The impact would have probably broken my back if I hadn’t, I was lucky that I only suffered minor bruises.

But I was not out of danger yet. Muulwarks are opportunists. If they see a weakened prey, they would attack immediately. Thus, I did what I always do.

I met my enemy head-on.

Our fight was short, but no less brutal than my previous engagements. With my swoird I stabbed and slashed at the Muulwark’s vulnerable parts. With my axe I severed its tail and the vibrant red crest that was both mesmerizing and distracting. It was part of the species’ mating ritual, using the crest to attract females. But it can also be used to grab the attention of its opponents.

The battle went on throughout the area. I even had to avoid my own traps for the beast often drove me to them, a behavior I had not seen before.

But in the end, it proved to be its undoing. As I avoided another pitfall trap, the Muulwark accidentally tripped on the net, the claws snagged on a small hole, which triggered the weight and pulled it to the air, roaring and snarling.

Without hesitation, I swung my axe at its neck.


	6. Day 4,514

Day 4,514

Bringing a Muulwark’s head back to Delmarva was a hassle, but it was not something I have never done before. Almost as large as my whole body, I had to drag it back for more than a day while fending off attacks from small scavengers.

The sun was already setting when I reached the wooden gates, haggard and exhausted, hauling the monster’s head and a makeshift pack I had made from dead tree branches and a spare blanket. It contained the Muulwark’s claws, fangs, and hide from its back, which is the toughest part. I can sell these parts for even more money.

While on my way to the Slayer Hall, the townspeople sent me curious, and in many cases, awed glances. It is no longer new to me, and I ignored them throughout my trip to the hall.

The receptionist seemed surprised at my entrance, which quickly transformed to mild awe when I dumped the Muulwark’s head and body parts to the counter. I gave him a brief account of my rather uneventful hunt, including the monster’s unusual intelligence. Though perplexed, the receptionist told me that this was not the first time he had heard of such things. Other Slayers were reporting strange monster behavior and activity as well.

I was worried about that. If monsters are getting smarter, Slayers like me will have an even harder job. But it doesn’t matter as long as we get paid.

After receiving my reward of two hundred silvers, I went back to the inn for a well-deserved meal and reward. However, it seems there was a letter for me. The innkeeper gave it just before I retired to my room. I will open it as soon as I finish this entry, but something tells me that it contains ill news.

After all, it is very rare for Grandslayer Oldrin to send out a letter.


	7. Day 4,515

Day 4,515

A summon for all gold-ranked Slayers is a serious matter.

The last time it happened, a hundred of us were gathered to slay a colony of Behemoths. It was a brutal extermination, and less than thirty of us were the only survivors.

That was three years ago. And now there is another call to arms.

I can't ignore the summon, so I immediately prepared this morning for a long trip to Arlonia. It was dated a week ago, so some has probably arrived by now.

Since I am loathe to travel again on foot, I bought a horse using the money I had earned yesterday. The horse, a sprinter I called Baleth, is friendly toward me. A pity. Once I am reunited with Aderyn, I am quite certain she would eat it like all the others before. She is a possessive dragon, and she hated another creature to travel with us.

After buying supplies to last for two weeks, I finally left Delmarva. It will be a long journey to Arlonia, so I am not sure how often I can write in this journal until I reach the city.

It is almost midnight now. As I waited for sleep, I cannot help but wonder about the reason Oldrin has made an urgent summon. If it's anything like the Behemoth extermination, then I have to be utterly prepared.


	8. Day 4,521

Day 4,521

My journey through the wilderness is usually uneventful. Today was an exception.

It has been a week since I left Delmarva. The road went north to Arlonia, but I had to passed through the Ucaran Forest, which I have done plenty of times before. It was usually peaceful along this route, so I was at ease.

But something had apparently changed. It was Baleth who noticed it first; he grew agitated as soon as we reached the middle of the forest, and nothing could calm him down. I have seen this behavior many times with my previous horses, so I tried to soothe Baleth while drawing my blade. We were surrounded by tall vegetation; monsters could be lurking nearby.

I was right, except they were already around us before I noticed. My only warning was the groaning noise as a trio of Yukaela burst from hiding, whipping their vines into my body.

The monstrous walking plants are usually found along the northern frontiers where the land is still untamed and dangerous monsters prowl. They lived in jungles, not forests.

Dispatching them was relatively easy, though I had to let go of Baleth in order to defend myself. Fortunately, the horse is smart enough to not wander too far during the short battle.

Something strange is happening. I knew it as soon as I had inspected the Yukaelas’ dead bodies. The monsters are larger than those I’ve seen; an unusual trait.

I have to get to Arlonia soon and report this to our order.


	9. Day 4,527

Day 4,527

Arlonia, fortress-city of the Emsir Kingdom, and the first line of defense against the dangerous lands beyond the frontier.

I have been here many times during my journey and hunts in the northern regions, and I am always in awe of its mighty walls and towering spires. A sacred ground for us Slayers, it was here where Varen, the first ever Slayer, slew the demon dragon, Lorantor. And it was here where he had built Varen’s Hall, greatest of our headquarters.

After stopping by an inn for a brief rest, I left Baleth in the public stables and made my way into Varen’s Hall where many of my order has already arrived. I saw a few friends along the way, companions whom I have not seen in a long time, and I greeted them with the same warmth as they did to me, with many embraces. But our happy reunion was short-lived.

Grandslayer Oldrin has made a summon.

We entered the Gathering Hall, and there were already so many fellow Slayers. Two hundred at least based on my quick estimation. All were gold-ranked.

The oldest Slayer, Oldrin himself, stood upon a raised stage, welcoming us. I asked my friends what they know of this urgent gathering, but even they were as clueless as I am.

And then Oldrin told us. By the end of it, a deep silence had befallen the room.

A horde of monsters from the Untamed Lands is on its way to Arlonia in a week.

Everything after that was a cacophony of chaotic shouts. A riot nearly broke out, but Oldrin is a charming old man. Only a word halted all conversations at once. Stop. And everyone listened while he laid out our plans, which I cannot say here until it is implemented.

After that, he told us to divide into scouting parties. Naturally, I would have picked my comrades. We already know each other, and we were all survivors of the Behemoth extermination.

Thus, it came as a surprise to me when a young Slayer was assigned to be my apprentice. Eina.

What an annoying brat she was. She kept pestering me about my adventures, my favorite monsters to hunt, even my favorite food. The girl is no less than twenty-one, a decade younger than me, but she acts like an annoying child. I also suspect she is part of the nobility.

It has taken nearly all of my patience to satisfy her curiosity, and I had to retire early for the night, writing my thoughts in this journal. I fear she will just be a liability to our mission tomorrow, so I need enough rest to deal with any mishap.

Hopefully, there would be none.


	10. Day 4,528

Day 4,528

I was wrong. Of course I was.

Four of us formed a party to scout the land beyond the fortress: me, Eina, an archer named Serion, and our assigned healer, Demisca.

Our mission was to reach Orlak’s Pass, a narrow passageway in Ferlong Valley, which the horde might use. It is the closest to us, and Oldrin fears it will be there where the defenses will have to be focused.

We set out at daybreak. It is only a quarter day’s ride, but we took into account any trouble we might face.

The first few hours were peaceful, though I had to endure Eina’s behavior once again. She kept rambling about how the monsters are no match for us and our army.

Foolish girl! That kind of arrogance will kill her if she is not careful. Slayers are not gods.

It was near noon when we reached our destination. And it is there we encountered trouble.

A pack of Maragorn attacked us. There must have been twenty of them vicious beasts, and we barely escaped with our lives. I managed to slay three, and Eina, I regrettably admit, was a good fighter. She killed two with her sword.

Unfortunately, Serion was overwhelmed before we can escape. The man took down another three before the rest of the pack tore his body. With no chance of survival, the three of us fled.

We rode with great haste back to Arlonia. Along the way, we passed a cliff overlooking the land, and my heart nearly stopped. The monster horde was directly below us.

How can they have gotten here so quickly? They were supposed to be less than a week away.

By the time we returned to the city, it was already in uproar. Soldiers prepared the defenses in tandem with Slayers. Even the governor, Irainor, was present during the war council.

And now here I am, waiting alongside my companions along the battlements. We did all we could to prepare, but with this sudden attack, we could only do so much. It is almost nine in the evening. On the horizon, I could hear the growls and roars of tens of thousands of monsters.

It will be a long night.


	11. Day 4,529

Day 4,529

We repelled the first wave quite easily, but the horde is still out there, in greater numbers than we would like.

All throughout the battle, I often wondered who is leading them. It can't be an Ohldorarg. It doesn't have the strength to bound so many creatures to its will. A wizard? Unlikely. Except for the dragons and a few species of flying mounts, most monsters can't be controlled by humans.

But whoever is leading them is smart. The monsters retreated at dawn, thirty minutes before sunrise. And as we tallied our losses, we realized that we barely killed a tenth of them while we lost hundreds of good men, soldiers and Slayers alike.

I am safe. Battered and bruised, but safe. And so are my companions, including Eina.

It is almost sunset now. I spent the whole day helping in repairing our defenses, but I fear it will not be enough. We only numbered three thousands, and reinforcements are still three days away. Even with us Slayers, our strength is not enough.

It will be a hard pressed battle.


	12. Day 4,530

Day 4,530

The gates have fallen. Fortunately for us, it happened an hour before sunrise, and we were able to stem the flow of enemies until they retreated.

But even so, it is only a brief respite. We are down to half our strength. We repaired the gates, but our barricades will not hold for long. Thankfully, the city has been evacuated. If necessary, we can fight on the streets where there is little room for the monsters to move.

And if that fails, then Varen’s Hold will be our last defense. History says it has never been breached before.

It’s time to prove it once more.


	13. Day 4,531

Day 4,531

The walls are overrun.

It was expected, and we made haste to retreat on the streets where we have already set traps and barricades. At less than a thousand, we have to ensure that we keep them at bay.

The leader has not let itself known yet, but I know it is out there among its minions. There is an unusual urge in the monster horde, a driving frenzy to kill and overwhelm us. Even Grandslayer Oldrin noticed it, and he spoke to us about it. If we can find the leader and kill it, we can strike a decisive blow. Maybe even put the horde to rout.

An impossible task though. The monsters now occupied part of the city. We are camped on the opposite side, near Varen’s Hold, but I can smell their stinking hides and hear their growls.

It is early morning. They have stopped the assault as usual, but this presents us with a great opportunity. They are less active during the day. If we are to find the leader and kill it, this is the best time.

I will suggest this idea to the war council. For now, I must sleep and rest. Last night’s attack was fiercer. If this keeps up, I fear this may be the last time I’m going to write in this diary.


	14. Day 4,532

Day 4,532

Eina almost got us all killed!

The foolish girl joined us in our mission to find and kill the monster leader, and I had no right to refuse a direct order from Oldrin to take her. It is not that I do not trust her or her skills. But she is young and inexperienced, no matter many monsters she had slain these past few days, and it was proven true when she woke up an entire house full of them after breaking a bowl.

I was so close to finding the leader, but Eina ruined our one and only chance. Fortunately, we managed to make a hasty retreat and return safely without a casualty. However, the damage has been done. The monsters know of our infiltration, and they will surely guard their leader even more.

There is no more chance of repelling them on the streets, so we had no choice but to retreat to Varen’s Hold where we plan to hold out long enough until reinforcements arrive. Even now, my remaining comrades are preparing the fortress for another long night of battle.

I will help them later. But first, Eina needs some reprimanding.


	15. Day 4,533

Day 4,533

It has been a very long day.

For the first time in history, Varen's Hold was breached. We tried to hold the front gates and walls for as long as we could, but the never-ending horde of monsters was too much for us. In the end, we retreated to the keep and barricaded ourselves inside the great hall.

Governor Irainor fell during the retreat while holding off the enemy, but he took down five Magrahis with him. Though the giant monsters were easily thrice his height, he fought bravely and killed each one of them until the other monsters overwhelmed him, tearing apart his body.

By the time we were inside the great hall, there were only two hundred of us left. The common foot soldiers had lost all will to fight with the death of the governor, but we Slayers remained firm in our resolve to fight until our last breath; even Eina who had apologized to me for her behavior yesterday.

And so we waited until the doors were torn asunder by a pair of Ograma and the horde poured in. We fought hard, perhaps my hardest battle yet. The narrow entrance proved useful in limiting our enemies, but we are not limitless. We also tire, and soon many of us fell.

I was about to give up and charge head-on in a futile attempt to find the leader and kill it when we heard the horns, and the roar of an army so loud it nearly shook the walls of Varen's Hold.

Our reinforcements had arrived at last.

We routed the enemy afterwards, pushing them back until we joined with the Imperial army. The monsters fled back to the Untamed Lands.

And just for a moment, I thought I felt a chilling gaze sweeping over our forces, but it quickly passed. Was it just my imagination? Instinct tells me it wasn’t.

There are a lot of bodies yet to be buried, and damages that we need to repair before the city can return to its former state. Plans have to be made for a possible retaliation. I know not what will happen, but I know one thing.

The battle is far from over.


	16. Day 4,534

Day 4,534

Oldrin has issued another mission: an expedition to the Untamed Lands.

It didn't come as a surprise to me. In fact, I have already expected it. We barely have any information about the unusual behaviour of the monsters, and we need to find the leader as well.

I volunteered along with Eina and some of my comrades. This will be a large operation, so we sent out another summon. This time to all Slayers.

The mission will begin in two weeks. I plan to use that time to prepare. I have never went deeper into the Untamed Lands before; those who did spoke of dangerous terrain, and even more dangerous creatures.

If that is what we are going to face, I need to be in my best possible state. If only Aderyn were here…


	17. Day 4,541

Day 4,541

A week has passed since the siege, and there is still so much to be done. Varen’s Hold is almost fully repaired—only the gates needed some reinforcements, which we expect to be finished in three days. However, it will still take another two weeks to repair the city’s outer walls; so much has been destroyed when the monsters had converged on our positions.

The city itself has suffered relatively minor damage, but the houses still reeked with the stench of monsters. It will take a long time for that to vanish, even with our cleaning efforts. Thus, the citizens will have to make do in refugee camps.

Speaking of cleaning, Eina apparently hated any house chores, so she never volunteered. But she loved taking care of the horses.

The new governor, Thaudor, seems keen on launching the expedition as soon as preparations are finished. But there is still so much to do. We planned on getting two hundred volunteers; we’ve managed only a quarter so far.

Tomorrow, we will hold another meeting to discuss the reports our scouts had brought a while ago. I have high hopes for some reason; all but two returned alive when we sent out thirty.


	18. Day 4,542

Day 4,542

The scouts' reports were peculiar.

They went fifty miles deep into the Untamed Lands, but found no sign of what remains of the monster horde. No dens. No nests. It's as if they never went in that direction at all.

There are two possibilities for this: one, they are hiding in hidden caves and underground lairs, which would make our mission even more dangerous. An ambush is a possible scenario, one which we may survive.

The second is plausible as well: they possess greater speed than normal. This I know to be true. Their sudden attack is already a solid evidence.

If this is the case, we will need to head deep. Deeper than we have gone before. It will be dangerous, but we have no choice. We must find the leader. We must know why the monsters are getting larger and smarter.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Stipe Lozina(https://www.facebook.com/lozinastipe) for designing the cover, and to Worldsmith Youth Serving Organization(https://www.facebook.com/worldsmithorg/) for their support.


End file.
